They’re debarred from promotion, but apparently not from winning.
Ryan Lucas scored the go-ahead basket with one minute left before Shawn Grosvenor had a game-saving steal, as Garrison Chargers barely survived Saturday’s 61-58 last-second thriller over Pinelands in Second Division basketball’s knockout final at the Wildey Gymnasium.
It proved a small measure of consolation for a Garrison side that was relegated to the sport’s lowest league – and banned from promotion – for refusing to appear in the Premier League this season despite winning the Intermediate league crown in 2013.
They were almost denied solace too, considering Chargers had to battle back from an early double-digit deficit, and then outlast a bit of fourth-quarter heroics from Jason Maloney that helped Pinelands tie the game at 55 inside the dying moments.
But Lucas broke the deadlock on a sweeping move to the middle before Cedric Proverbs made the contest a two-possession game (59-55) by leaking out off a Chris Holder missed lay-up.
Holder still made the game interesting though, having converted a tough basket in the paint while getting fouled, then drawing yet another foul off the ensuing missed free throw.
However, the former national centre split the potential game-tying free throws all while Proverbs made his at the other end to put Chargers ahead 61-58 with 0.7 seconds remaining.
The Pine wasn’t done just yet, drawing up one last possession to force overtime only to see Grosvenor step in front Dwayne Pollard’s inbounds pass intended for Maloney.
It was the most improbable of finishes to an even more unlikely comeback fuelled by Garrison’s reserves, who had already watched their teammates climb out of a previous 23-12 hole.
This time Chargers were facing a late eight-point deficit (42-34), until Fabian “Shark” Clarke hit back-to-back jumpers preceding Roger Corbin’s go-ahead trey (44-42).
Clarke, though, was far from finished, hitting another pull-up jumper before Lucas’ shot in the key put Garrison up 48-44.
But Maloney quickly took the game by the scruff of its neck, replying with successive drives and an assist to Nicholas Wiltshire, then knocking down two free throws and a huge game-tying trey with two minutes left.
It looked all too similar to Pinelands’ initial 13-4 surge bridging the first and second quarters, where Chargers couldn’t get anything going offensively while falling behind 23-12.
The Pine were more than gracious in letting their opponents back in the contest though, having turned over the ball needlessly which eventually led to a slew of buckets underneath for Tyrone “Tito” Alexander (23-19).
Lucas and Grosvenor led Chargers with 12 and 11 points respectively while Maloney was the lone Pinelands player in double digits with 15.
